Elsa Lanchester, an American actress of British descent, is best known for her cult role in the horrors of 1935 "Bride of Frankenstein", where the image of a terrible monster went to the famous Boris Karloff. The career of the actress has more than half a century, during which time she successfully starred in 90 films, and in 1958 she was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in Witness for the Prosecution.
Childhood and early years of Elsa Lanchester
The future actress Elsa Lanchester was born on October 28, 1902 into an unusual family.
The Lanchester family was distinguished by its representatives, who sought to stand out from the usual society with their activities or talents.
Elsa's mother, Edith "Biddy" Lanchester, was a staunch suffragist, atheist, vegetarian and pacifist. She studied higher mathematics in London, and after a year of teaching, she got a job as a secretary to Eleanor Marx, daughter of Karl Marx. So Edith became a member of the Social Democratic Party, leading many public meetings.
Elsa's father, James "Seamus" Sullivan, was a factory worker before the girl was born. James met Edith when she was 24 years old. He shared the political views of his chosen one. The couple decided to live together. Not recognizing the institution of marriage and the fact that the wife must obey her husband, the spouses never officially signed.
In a civil marriage, Wildo, Elsa's older brother, was also born.
Despite the small family income, the parents were able to place the girl in the best private school. But, according to Elsa's recollections, "this school brought nothing but tears."
At the age of 10, Elsa was sent to study dancing with Isadora Duncan herself. However, two years later, due to the outbreak of the First World War, dance classes had to be stopped. When Elsa returned home, the girl was sent to a boarding school in King's Langley, Hertfordshire, England. There she taught dance lessons in exchange for education and food.
In 1918, Elsa Lanchester got a job as a dance teacher at the Margaret Morris School. In addition to dancing, Elsa was fond of music. In 1920 she made her music hall debut as a dancer. Lanchester later founded a children's theater in Soho, central London, where she taught for several years.
Elsa Lanchester's first stage debut took place in 1922 at the West End Theater in London in the play 30 Minutes.
In 1924 Elsa and her partner Harold Scott opened a London nightclub called The Cave of Harmony. There they staged plays from one act by the famous writers Pirandello and Chekhov, as well as performed comic performances and cabaret. The institution was closed in 1928, as Elsa Lanchester was seriously planning to occupy herself in the film industry.
Elsa Lanchester's film career
Elsa's first appearance on the big screen took place back in the silent film era in 1925.
Lanchester met the successful actor Charles Lawton, with whom she will star in several films. He will strengthen the reputation of an aspiring actress, and later become her husband.
Elsa and Charles starred in films such as The Private Lives of Henry VIII (1933), where Lanchester played the fourth wife of the famous monarch Anna of Cleves, biographies about the life story of the famous artist Rembrandt (1936), the crime thriller Big Clock (1948).
The first truly memorable career as an actress was the female role in Bride of Frankenstein in 1935. The scary monster was performed by the "king of horrors" Boris Karloff. To create the image of a two-meter bride, Elsa Lanchester, with her height of 163 cm, was tightly tied to stilts, and a birdcage was used to create the famous hairstyle.
The gothic image of the monster's girlfriend has become so vivid and memorable that 85 years later you can find its reflection in modern surroundings (pillows, posters, paintings, souvenirs, even cakes). Overseas, many people love to dress up as "Frankenstein's Bride" at the annual Halloween party. The female character of Elsa Lanchester is considered the most ideal embodiment in the world of horror.
In 1957, the drama Witness for the Prosecution was released, in which Elsa Lanchester won her first and only Golden Globe. In this motion picture, Elsa portrayed Miss Plimsall as a home nurse, who guarded the health and peace of an elderly but respected lawyer with a sick heart. The main male role was played by Charles Lawton, and the female role went to Marlene Dietrich. Agatha Christie, with rare exceptions, approved this film adaptation of her own book.
The actress fit perfectly into films of any genre. Throughout her 55-year career, Elsa Lanchester has played real historical characters, blue-blooded women, cooks, hotel maids, chauffeurs, doctors, boarding house owners, stepmothers, nannies and even a bearded woman.
Among the last significant films of Elsa Lanchester is the detective black comedy "Supper with Murder", where she played the role of Miss Jessica Marbles. Her colleagues on the set were such eminent stars as Peter Falk, Maggie Smith, Peter Sellers, David Niven, as well as Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco.
Elsa Lanchester authored two of her own memoir books. In them, she expressed her opinion that her successful film career was partly due to an atypical appearance: curly hair, large round eyes, as well as a dull look that made the created images comedic and foolish.
Elsa Lanchester's personal life
In 1927, Elsa met British actor Charles Lawton. They co-starred in several films and theatrical plays, and in 1929 the couple tied the knot.
However, two years later, Elsa realized that her husband was gay. The couple did not separate and lived together until the death of Charles Lawton in 1962. There were no children in the marriage.
The actress herself died on December 26, 1986 from bronchial pneumonia at the age of 84 in Woodland Hills, California, USA. She was cremated and her ashes scattered over the sea.
